Another Day, Another Outbreak
by LadyRavenlocke
Summary: Resident Evil: ZeroFAKE crossover. Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen are sent to investigate a suspect attack, and find themselves facing a possible outbreak in NYC. WARNING: Some harsh language, tiny touch of Yaoi. CHAPTER FIVE REVISED!
1. Welcome to my Nightmare

FANDOM: FAKE & Resident Evil: Zero  
PAIRING: Billy Coen/Rebecca Chambers, Dee Laytner/Ryo McLane  
WARNINGS: Yaoi, Het, Violence, Angst  
DISCLAIMER: Still don't own 'em. They still owe me rent. The loveliness that is FAKE belongs to the talented Sanami Matoh. Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen are property of Capcom. "Welcome to My Nightmare" is credited to Alice Cooper, long may he rock.

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_CHAPTER 01 – Welcome to My Nightmare  
by C. Ravenlocke_

Billy Coen hated hospitals. With a passion, as a matter of fact. Doctors and nurses were the same everywhere, he'd found, and the former Marine had had his fill of both during his time in the institution. He'd come to despise the falsely cheerful tones and quiet reassurances offered by nurses who may or may not really give a shit. It was almost as annoying as the nasty habit doctors had of talking to a patient like they had no capability to understand anything they were being told. Like your "condition" reduced you to the mental capacity of a five-year-old, not the multitude of drugs they routinely dumped into your bloodstream.

_Knock it off, Coen, you're not there anymore._

Sighing softly, Billy exhaled a stream of smoke, and leaned against the wall of the hospital. Beside him, Rebecca Chambers shivered and clutched her coat more tightly around her slim frame. She envied Billy his seeming lack of regard for the weather. She had a pretty good notion that if she'd been male herself, her testicles would have long ago taken refuge in her ribcage. She thought for a moment about asking Billy when they were actually going to go inside the hospital, but after a quick glance at him, decided to hold off. She could tell by not only his stance, but the moody set of his jaw that he was having one of his more intolerant days, and that pushing him would be unwise.

Fighting the urge to sigh, Rebecca threw another glance at Billy from the corner of her eye. She hated it when he got like this, but could never bring herself to become too upset with him. Over the last year, since she and Billy had been reunited with a little help of the enigmatic man named Trent, she'd learned a tremendous amount about Lieutenant William Coen. Some of those things had given her insights to the demons that lurked in the Marine's mind. Over time, he'd finally told her a little about his experiences after his court-martial. Not only of his prison time, but of his time in the institution. Which is why, she knew, they hadn't yet gone in. After not only the institution, but having to deal with Umbrella as well, he had become almost phobic about labs and hospitals. When it came right down to it, she couldn't blame him.

Billy was aware of Rebecca's gaze on him, but he didn't give any sign he'd noticed. Yes, they were on a mission, but Billy knew she'd come to know him well enough to give him a minute or two to mentally prepare before walking into anything that might trigger a flashback. Because the last thing he needed in a New York hospital was to have an attack. See those bodies again, or hear those gunshots...

_Be where you are, Soldier._

"Right," Billy muttered. Exhaling the last drag he could possibly coax out of the cigarette, he dropped it to the ground, and snuffed it out with the heel of his boot. He pushed away from the wall with all the defiance of a rebellious teenager, and Rebecca couldn't help but smile at that. "Are you ready?" she asked quietly.

Billy nodded. "Yeah, let's go get a feel for the sitch. Hopefully, this isn't another outbreak."

"I don't even want to think about the implications if it is..." Rebecca replied.

Billy couldn't help but agree. Both he and Rebecca had dealt with the results of the T-Virus, a nasty little experiment belonging to the Umbrella Corporation, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. On the surface, they were completely legit. In the background, however, hiding away in labs that seemed to resemble sets from old spy movies more than laboratories, the members of a division called White Umbrella cooked up their bioweapons. Their creativity knew no bounds, in that respect.

Unfortunately, they seemed to have problems keeping control of the things they created. Raccoon City had been a prime example. If even _half_ of what Trent had told them was true, there had only been eight survivors. That had been in a city with a population of over a hundred thousand people. So, while Billy had only ever seen the creatures on the train and in the Umbrella Training Facility, and had been on the west coast by the time the city was bombed, he had no trouble imagining what it would be like unleashed on a city as big as NYC. Nothing was immune. Anything could become infected, from people to dogs to plants. The virus would spread like a wildfire and, like an out-of-control blaze, would destroy everything in its path.

_Okay, enough stalling. Time to go to work._

Billy broke from his thoughts and looked at Rebecca. She was staring at him expectantly, and he sighed as he realized that he'd wandered off into his own head again. "Huh?"

"I said, are you coming?"

"Yeah."

Walking into the hospital from the street was like stepping into a whole different world. The low drone of cars was replaced by the cacophony of shouts, screams, and general chaos. Blindingly bright lights seemed to bring the room into focus that was almost too sharp for human eyes. The overall frenzied pace was disorienting, but Billy knew immediately where they were. Rebecca had chosen to enter the hospital through the Emergency Room. Although it wouldn't have been Billy's first choice, he said nothing; it was a sound decision. Few people were likely to remember them coming through. That afforded them a certain amount of necessary anonymity. His own personal preferences were irrelevant.

Rebecca took the lead the moment they walked into the building, something Billy was grateful for. Rebecca was comfortable here, he knew, able to decipher the din that sounded like nothing but a jumble of nonsensical sound to him. She knew how to talk to the medical staff, blending in easily as she introduced herself as a visiting doctor from another hospital, and got them directions to get out of Emergency. When they finally managed to step into a quiet hallway, Rebecca glanced over at Billy and smiled a little. "You okay?" she asked, reaching over and touching his hand briefly.

Billy nodded, offering a smile back. "I'm fine. Where to from here?"

"Intensive Care. That's where the victims will most likely be."

"You got it," Billy replied, smiling faintly back. "After you."

The sound of someone rapping lightly on the door to Ryo's room woke Dee from a light doze. Prying unwilling eyes open, the man rose from his chair as a young woman poked her head into the room. Dee was instantly on the alert; she didn't look like any of the doctors he'd seen take care of Ryo so far. When she seemed just as surprised to see him there, he became doubly suspicious. "Can I help you?" he asked.

The woman smiled a bit and nodded, stepping into the room. "I certainly hope so."

She was a petite little thing but pretty, with soft brown hair that brushed the tops of her shoulders. Dressed in a pair of beige slacks and a green silk blouse worn under the typical white lab jacket, she exuded a professional air, and looked more or less at home in her surroundings. Dee smiled a bit, and was about to remark on her appearance when a second person stepped into the room, this one setting off all kinds of warning bells in the raven-haired detective's head.

The man had to stand at least 5'11", with dark brown hair shot through with gold blonde and cold blue eyes that missed very little. He was built solidly, like a linebacker or a professional bouncer. His own black slacks and matching silk shirt did little to hide that fact. Regarding the surly looking man silently, Dee wondered if he should call security; the woman didn't seem like a threat, but the man was undeniably dangerous. After quickly running over the pros and cons, he decided to wait. He was armed, after all, and was capable of taking care of himself. Besides, what person in their right mind would try something stupid in a hospital?

The woman smiled at him, and Dee felt his suspicion melt a few notches. The young woman had the most innocent looking eyes, and it was hard to remain suspicious of her. "My name is Doctor Katherine Stone," she said, then indicated the man behind her. "This is my husband, Blake. I've been called in as a specialist to inspect the victims of the attack two days ago..."

"Detective Dee Laytner, NYPD," Dee replied as he stepped aside, but kept his eyes warily on Katherine as she walked over and picked up the chart hanging from the foot of Ryo's bed. "If you don't mind my asking, why would they need a specialist for something like this?"

"Are you familiar with the incidents that occurred in Raccoon City about four years ago?"

Dee thought about that for several moments then shook his head. "Nope."

"Are you familiar with the Umbrella Corporation?"

"Well sure, who hasn't heard of them? Big pharmaceutical company, right?"

Kathrine nodded. "Yes, that's right. Four years ago, they set up shop in a little place called Raccoon City near the Arklay Mountains."

At that, the raven-haired detective nodded. "Now that you mention it, the name of the place does sound kinda familiar. Wasn't there some kind of chemical spill there or something?"

Blake gave a tight smile, speaking up for the first time. "Something like that."

"More to the point," Katherine broke in, "there were attacks of a similar nature to what I know of this one. I've been sent to determine if it was the same kind of attack or not."

"Sounds more like police work than something a doctor would be called in for."

"That's where _I_ come in, Detective," Blake replied. "I'm a Private Investigator who's been hired to look into just what happened in Raccoon City before it was decimated. But I'm no doctor, so..."

"So you brought your wife along to get her professional opinion. I get it," Dee said wearily, dropping back into the chair next to Ryo's bed and taking the unconscious man's hand. "So...what do you need to know?"

"Were you actually at the scene when the attack occurred, Detective?" Blake asked.

Sighing, Dee shook his head. "No. I was on my way to the scene when it happened."

"So you didn't see anything at all?"

"Just the ripped to shit ambulance and the bodies."

"Was anyone killed in the attack?"

Dee gave another sigh, this one seeming soul-weary. Tear-brimmed emerald eyes turned toward Ryo's unconscious form as he gave a slight nod. Katherine saw those tears, and walked over to Dee, laying a hand gently on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry we're having to do this to you, so soon after the attack, Detective..."

"...You guys are just doing your job..."

"I appreciate your understanding...And I'm sorry we have to grill you like this, but time may be very critical right now. Were the bodies of the deceased brought here as well?"

That question caught Dee square in the gut, and he closed his eyes, giving another small nod. Wounds half-healed ripped themselves open again, as visions of blood and ravaged bodies flashed across his mind's eye. He felt Katherine give his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry for your loss...thank you so much for your time, Dee..." She said quietly, and then the hand was gone.

Dee didn't even hear them leave.

As she shut the door behind them quietly, Rebecca swore softly. In spite of the seriousness of the situation, and the fact that he was as tense as she was, Billy couldn't help but chuckle. "I've been a bad influence on you."

"Spare me. I used language like this before I met you," Rebecca shot back, giving Billy a light punch in the shoulder.

"Yeah, but never so creatively, I'm sure."

That drew a giggle from Rebecca, and she tried to level a scowl on Billy that failed miserably. While a part of her still felt unnecessarily guilty for engaging in the levity, she'd learned a long time ago that sometimes the brief moments of humor were all that kept her sane. It was a lesson that Billy knew all to well, himself. "So what do you think, Becca?" Billy asked, breaking her from her thoughts. "Is he infected?"

"I don't think so. He'd be showing signs by now, if he were. Still, it's hard to say, since he's still unconscious."

Billy nodded. "And the good detective in there is pretty much useless as a source of information."

"The less he knows, the better off he is."

"Yeah...you're probably right. Especially if we end up having to put down one of his buddies."

That sobering thought led the two of them to walk down the hallway toward the elevators in silence. They were only a few doors away when one of the elevator cars opened, and two well-dressed and grim-looking men stepped off. They brushed past Billy and Rebecca without sparing them so much as a glance, and Rebecca saw something that stopped her dead in her tracks. She took a moment to make sure mentally that she trusted what she'd seen, then looked at Billy, who hadn't noticed her abrupt stop. "Billy!" she hissed.

The former Marine stopped at the tone of his partner's voice, turning back to look at Rebecca, whose eyes were wide. "What's up?"

"Those men! They were Umbrella agents!"

Billy frowned. "You're sure?"

"I saw their lapel pins. I'd recognize their insignia anywhere."

"Shit..."

Rebecca nodded. "That means they're already sending in a clean-up crew. Billy, we can't let them destroy the evidence this time!"

A split second passed as Billy's brain whirled, analyzing, considering, and finally settling on a decision. "I'll follow them. You head down to the morgue, and make sure they don't make off with any bodies. I'll meet you down there as soon as I can. If you need anything, ping me, okay?" He asked, holding up the phone/walkie-talkie combos that had been so graciously provided to them before this particular mission.

The two exchanged a brief look and a smile, before Rebecca nodded and headed toward the elevator. As soon as she was out of sight, Billy took off at what he hoped was a brisk, but casual enough pace not to draw undue attention. He caught up with the two men just as they rounded a corner, ducking into one of the doors there. Billy fought off the urge to groan.

They'd headed straight into the room Dee and Ryo were in!

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Reviews and comments always appreciated! More feedback means more chapters.


	2. Once More Into the Breach

FANDOM: _FAKE & Resident Evil: Zero_  
PAIRING: Billy Coen/Rebecca Chambers, Dee Laytner/Ryo McLane  
WARNINGS: Yaoi, Het, Violence, Angst, Strong Language  
DISCLAIMER: Still don't own 'em. They still owe me rent. The loveliness that is FAKE belongs to the talented Sanami Matoh. Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen are property of Capcom.  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Many thanks to Trunks-Maniac for his wonderful review. Here's Chapter Two. Enjoy!

_

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__CHAPTER 02 - Once More Into the Breach_  
by C. Ravenlocke 

Rebecca had never sworn so often or so loudly as she did as she did running down the stairs toward the hospital's basement level. She wasn't sure exactly what she was swearing at. Was it both her and Billy's lack of foresight to count on Umbrella coming to take care of things? _No, that's not it_, she decided. _We just didn't expect them to be here so goddamned soon!_

So intent on her thoughts was she, Rebecca almost ran smack into the door that led into the basement level. Skidding to a stop and composing herself, not wanting to arouse suspicion should she be observed, she opened the door and stepped quietly into the room beyond. The lights were just as harshly bright here as everywhere else in the hospital. Unlike the upper levels, however, this room was mostly empty, save for a set of elevator doors and a second door, which presumably led to another stairwell. Rebecca frowned when she noted the door was padlocked. Since such stairwells were usually used as alternate routes in the case of a fire, she knew it should have been unlocked.

As if that wasn't cause enough for concern, the eerie silence only served to make Rebecca even more uneasy. While the basement levels were, as a rule, where the morgue and incinerators were kept, and thus less populated than the other levels of the hospital, the quiet shouldn't have been so absolute. As Rebecca crossed the room to examine the elevator, her footsteps echoed dully on the concrete floor. A quick examination of the elevator revealed it to be in working condition. When she pressed the call button, she was more than a little surprised when she found that the car had to come up for her. _Someone's on the lower level...maybe Umbrella's clean up crew?_

She hoped not, but if that was the case, then Rebecca had no choice but to head down after them. That thought in mind, she sighed softly and when the doors slid open, she stepped into the elevator car. As the doors slid shut with a soft sound, and she reached under the lab coat, drawing her Barretta. She hefted the familiar weight and flicked the safety off as the elevator began its descent.

As Billy reached the door to the room he and Rebecca had left only a few minutes before, he paused near the slightly ajar door, flattening himself against the wall. He slouched against it to give the illusion of simply waiting for the other men to leave before he entered himself. However careless he appeared, however, he trained an ear on the conversation being held within. Even as intently as he was listening, it was difficult to make out what was being said. So he remained outside the room, growing increasingly uneasy as time wore on and the two Umbrella agents didn't emerge. When fifteen minutes passed and the two agents still hadn't come out of the room, Billy debated stepping inside to see what was going on. The debate ended abruptly when the sound of a scuffle made itself known, and Billy slipped silently into the room.

One of the agents was pinning Dee down, the other trying to press a cloth over the detective's mouth and nose. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what was going on, and Billy's reaction was immediate. He reached out, grabbing the shoulder of the agent nearest him. As the man spun around to see who'd touched him, Billy landed a solid punch to his jaw, dropping his target like a stone. The other agent shoved Dee hard at Billy, darting toward the door. Using the few awkward moments as Billy caught the stumbling detective and helped him regain his balance, the suited man disappeared down the hallway. As soon as they were untangled, Billy took off after the agent, Dee right on his heels. "He'll head straight for a phone," Billy said quickly. "Where's the closest one?"

Dee was silent for just a moment, before turning down a hallway. "This way!"

As the hallway opened up into a reception area, Billy saw the Umbrella Agent first. The man had stopped running, presumably under the impression that he wasn't being pursued any longer. As Billy watched, the Agent pulled a radio from his belt and started speaking into it. When he saw Billy and Dee, his eyes widened and he took off running again. Dee started to take off after him, but Billy caught him by the arm. "Hold up a second, Slick."

Dee tried to jerk his arm out of Billy's grip, but it was almost impossible. "Let go of me, dammit! He's getting away!"

Billy shook his head, hauling Dee back down the hallway and into a mostly empty waiting room. "Won't do us any good. We don't know how many Umbrella agents are in this hospital, and we can't outrun a radio." Billy saw Dee about to argue and frowned. "You're a cop, you know I'm right. Besides, we're lucky no one's called security yet. Now c'mon, let's see if our Sleeping Beauty upstairs knows anything before we cause a bigger scene than we already have."

Dee sagged a little; he knew Billy was right, even if he really didn't want to admit it. As the adrenaline wore off a fraction, and Billy's words sank in, he suddenly remembered the agent in Ryo's room and the conversation that had led to the scuffle. "Oh shit! Ryo!"

When the elevator doors opened again, Rebecca wasn't entirely surprised when she was greeted by silence. Keeping her Barretta just out of sight, Rebecca stepped into the corridor beyond. As she did, she swallowed hard; the lights were out. Images of the Umbrella Training Facility flashed through her mind. Too many of those corridors had been so dim, or dark like this. It was so easy to let your imagination run away, seeing monsters in every shadow...

_What is it Billy always says? Be where you are? Yeah, that's it. Be where you are Rebecca._

Steeling herself, Rebecca was still as the elevator doors closed again, plunging her into darkness. She backed up against the wall until she could feel the control panel for the elevator. Once she was sure she could find the button to open the doors quickly, she stilled herself and listened. At first, she could hear nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat. Seconds passed, bleeding into minutes, and as they did, other sounds slowly began to make themselves known. The first that caught her attention was the sound of footsteps. Shuffling footsteps, the kind made by people who were drunk or wounded.

_Or zombies..._

As if summoned by her thoughts, a moan reached her ears, the sound low and hungry. The smell of rot made it's way to her nose, and she started breathing shallowly through her mouth, trying not to vomit. The sounds, the smell, it all brought with it four years of events Rebecca didn't want to remember. She decided, in that moment, that it was time to get out of the basement, find Billy, and see what he wanted to do. She pressed the button to open the elevator's doors, her hand tightening around her gun. The doors slowly began to slide open and she heard the footsteps getting closer.

Then she couldn't hear anything but the sound of her own scream.


	3. Running the Green Mile

FANDOM: _FAKE & Resident Evil: Zero_

PAIRING: Billy Coen/Rebecca Chambers, Dee Laytner/Ryo McLane

RATING: NC-17, just to be safe

WARNINGS: Yaoi, Het, Gore, Violence, Angst

DISCLAIMER: I don't own 'em. Don't sue me, I'm not worth enough. The loveliness that is FAKE belongs to the talented Sanami Matoh. Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen are property of Capcom. No Zombies were harmed in the making of this chapter, except one...and he deserved it. >.>

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_Chapter 03 – Running the Green Mile_

_by C. Ravenlocke_

When Billy and Dee returned to Ryo's room, they found the Umbrella Agent they'd left unconscious there gone. Ryo was still in his bed, blissfully unaware of the events unfolding around him. Dee kinda envied Ryo his ignorance, since _he _was still struggling to put all the pieces together. Things had just spun out of control too quickly. The only one who seemed to know anything was Blake, who was standing near the door, looking tense as he occasionally glanced outside, then at his phone.

Dee didn't spare Blake another thought as he checked Ryo over carefully. There didn't seem to be any new marks, and it didn't look as if anyone had tried to move him. Only when Dee was certain that Ryo was really okay did he turn toward Blake again. "So, are you ready to tell me just what the hell is going on?"

Blake turned away from the door, closing it behind him. "Could turn into kind of a long story."

"Then how about we start with the Umbrella Agents you mentioned earlier?"

Blake flinched and Dee felt his earlier suspicions returning. Obviously, those agents were something he hadn't planned on Dee knowing. Still, the detective said nothing of it, waiting for whatever explanation Blake had for him. "The two men who came in here?" Blake began, "They were agents from Umbrella."

"They said they were from the CDC," Dee replied cautiously, hoping a little give and take of information might earn him a better explanation than he'd otherwise get.

Blake snorted, his hand dropping to pat at his pocket in a gesture Dee knew all too well; Blake was obviously a smoker, and probably in need of a cigarette as much as Dee was at that moment. He was about to comment on it when Blake seemed to catch himself and let his hand drop to his side again. "I guess that's sort of a half-truth."

"What do you mean?"

"Umbrella is a big company, Detective. One of their divisions happens to specialize in bioweapons. And when you're playing with fire like that, you damn well better have firefighters on hand, if you catch my drift."

Dee nodded. "Yeah, I get you. They kept talking about taking Ryo with them."

"To put him under quarantine?"

"Yeah, that's it."

Blake shook his head. "Damn. It _is_ a clean-up crew."

"What kind of clean-up crew?" Dee was frowning.

"The kind that comes through to make traces of their screw-ups disappear."

Dee growled, leveling a glare at Blake. "Goddamn it, Stone, quit fucking with me! Two guys just tried to run off with my partner! When I wouldn't just roll over and take it, they try to fucking attack me! And this is after they start asking me the same kind of questions you and your wife did. Not to mention that they were _damned_ interested in you two. Now what the _hell_ is going on!"

Blake's eyes narrowed, his hands clenching into fists as a muscle in his jaw twitched. Dee thought for certain that he was two seconds away from a punch in the mouth, but he didn't care. He wanted answers and he was damn well going to get them! He was still surprised when Blake only took a deep breath, and very slowly relaxed. "Okay, Slick, you really want to know what's going on?"

"Damn straight I do. And don't call me Slick."

Blake smirked. "You remember that 'chemical spill' that happened in Raccoon?"

At Dee's nodded affirmative, Blake went on. "It wasn't a chemical spill. You don't nuke a city that big off the face of the planet because of a chemical spill."

"If it wasn't a chemical spill, then what _was_ it?"

"A virus. A nasty as hell little bug called the T-Virus."

"What does it do?"

"You want the scientific answer, ask Katherine."

"And if I don't?"

As Blake opened his mouth to speak, the phone at his hip beeped and Katherine's voice suddenly came through. "Billy, help me!"

Billy fumbled the phone off his belt and hit the button to send. "What's your location?"

There was no answer, and Billy's stomach knotted painfully. "Rebecca! What's your location?"

Still nothing.

Billy swore sharply, jamming the phone back on his belt and heading for the door. Dee grabbed him by the arm, and as Billy turned toward him, Dee spoke. "Your name's Billy?"

Billy sighed. "Yes, that's my real name. Look, it's a long story and we don't have a lot of time. Is there somewhere we can take your partner where people would leave him be?"

Dee blinked but nodded. "Uh, yeah...Our Commissioner is in the room two doors down. It's a dual occupancy, although he's alone in there right now."

"Perfect. Move him in there and wait for me."

"What the hell is going on!"

Billy sighed again, and shook his head, speaking very quickly. "Here's the short version. That attack may have been caused by one of Umbrella's bioweapons. We don't know who might have been infected. Umbrella doesn't know either, and they've sent in a crew to make any possible traces of the virus disappear before it gets out in the open. Rebecca and I were in Raccoon City. And we work for an organization who's trying to expose Umbrella. Now, she might be in trouble, and I've got to go find her. Move your partner and sit tight. We'll be back."

Dee nodded silently. For the first time since he'd come in contact with Blake...no, Billy...Dee had the feeling that the man was telling him the truth. "If you're not back in 30 minutes, I'm calling security to go looking for you."

"If I'm not back in 30 minutes, Slick, I'm probably dead."

"Don't call me Slick!" Dee shouted, but it was useless; Billy was gone.

Rebecca's scream echoed off the walls as she spun away from the hand that had clamped on her shoulder, bringing her gun up and firing once into the dark blindly. The shot went wide, and the groans suddenly seemed to be all around her. She yanked her phone out of the pocket of her lab coat, and put a call for help through to Billy before another clammy hand closed down on her arm. With another shriek, she pulled away from her assailant, and started stumbling backwards toward the open elevator, dropping the phone as she went.

As the doors opened completely, pale light spilled out into the black corridor, bright as a new sun to Rebecca's eyes. She threw herself into the elevator car, flattening herself against the back of the car as she punched the button to close the doors. The doors started to slide slowly closed as the first of the zombies stepped into view. The creature had once been a man, nude and as decayed as if he'd been left outside for weeks. His jaw hung open loosely, black ichor dripping from between gaps in the broken teeth. His skin bore numerous lacerations, as well as the tell-tale inverted y-shaped wound of an unfinished autopsy. As the zombie lurched forward, internal organs shifted and gaped, one or two loops of intestine falling from the opened abdominal cavity. Rebecca fought the urge to be sick. _Oh god...the morgue...it got loose in the morgue..._

Then there was no time to think. The zombie was too close, and others were getting closer every second. The doors simply couldn't close fast enough, and she brought her gun to bear, firing two shots. The first one went high, but the second one found its mark, causing the zombie's head to explode in a shower of brain-matter and blood. Rebecca almost sighed in relief at that, only to swear when the body fell toward her instead of away, blocking the doors.

The moans in the hallway were getting louder, the other zombies drawn by the smell of fresh blood. Rebecca braced herself and kicked hard at the body blocking the elevator doors, using the heel of her shoe to push hard at it. The first shove didn't move the corpse at all, and she repressed a shudder at the spongy feel of the flesh. A second shove actually gave her a little leeway, and as she gave a third shove, she saw the other zombies in the doorway, grasping at her, and at the body she was trying to move.

A final shove freed the zombie from the elevator car, and the other zombies turned toward it, distracted from Rebecca momentarily. Those few moments were enough to allow the elevator door to close completely. She sagged back against the back of the elevator car with a shuddering sob, her eyes closing as she felt the slight lurch that meant she was moving again.

Billy's heart thundered in his ears as he reached the stairs and took the same route down that Rebecca had just a little while before. He took the stairs two or three at a time, praying with every step that she was all right, that perhaps something had just spooked her. Her lack of reply worried him, but he reined it in. Panicking now wouldn't get him where he needed to be to help her.

He emerged into the basement level, looking around, tense as a bowstring. His gun had found its way into his hand at some point, though he didn't remember drawing it. As he crossed the room, heading toward the elevator, it suddenly chimed the arrival of a car. Billy dropped into a crouch, gun aimed unwaveringly at the doors, not wanting to be in the line of fire if the passengers happened to be unfriendly

The doors opened after a moment, and Billy was both surprised and relieved to see Rebecca stumble out. Billy flicked on the safety of his pistol, and was at her side in a moment, wrapping her up in an almost frantic embrace. As her arms wrapped him with similar ferocity, Billy noticed she was trembling. "What happened, Rebecca?" he whispered, his arms around her tightening.

"In the morgue...the virus got out in the morgue..." she whispered back. "They can't work the elevators...they can't get up here...That's why the door is padlocked...Someone...someone was trying to keep them down there..."

"Okay...it's all right, Becca...if they're down there, this'll be easier. C'mon, I promised we wouldn't be gone long. You gonna be okay?"

Rebecca nodded, pulling away from Billy with obvious reluctance. Smoothing down her lab coat, she examined herself, assessing the damage to her clothing. Surprisingly enough, there were no tears in her clothing, and the blood on her shoe where she'd kicked the zombie was hard to see unless under close inspection. Nodding to herself and slipping her gun back into its holster under her lab coat, Rebecca looked up at Billy. He smiled a bit at her, noticing that her expression had become all business again. It softened a bit as she smiled back at him. "I...uh...I lost my phone down there."

"Don't worry about it," Billy replied gently. "It's just a phone. Now c'mon. We've got one hell of a story to tell."

She sighed, shoulders sagging. "I blew our cover, didn't I?"

"Don't worry about it. The only one who heard us was the cop, and I think he might listen to us."

_How do I get myself into these things? Why did I let him leave? He's not coming back... Dammit, Ryo, I wish you'd wake up. You're better at this than I am._

Dee sighed and stopped pacing long enough to look outside at the city. He wanted a cigarette, so badly it hurt. He wanted a cigarette, a stiff drink, and a little time to think and try to sort everything out. He had almost made the decision to try hanging out the window by one arm to get the smoke he so desperately craved when a voice broke into his consciousness. Broken from his troubled reverie, Dee looked over his shoulder and met the angry eyes of Diana Spacey. "Huh? What did you say?" Dee asked.

"I said, what the hell is going on, you Neanderthal!" Diana repeated, glaring daggers at the raven-haired detective. "You come barging in here with Ryo, tell me not to let anyone from the CDC in, and then you start pacing around like someone's about to bomb the damned building!"

Dee sighed, sinking heavily into the chair beside Ryo's bed. He rubbed a hand over his face and it was through force of will alone that he didn't light up right there, hospital or no. "Honestly? I don't know if I understand it yet, myself. But...something really weird is going on. It has something to do with the Umbrella Corporation."

"That big pharmaceutical company? What do _they_ have to do with this?"

"Something about bioweapons or some shit like that." Dee shrugged. "Like I said, I don't know if I get it yet, either. But we should have answers coming pretty soon."

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

It was at that point that Rebecca poked her head into the room and smiled just a little bit when she saw Dee. She stepped into the room, Billy right behind her, and Dee looked up. A part of him was relieved the two were there; they had answers he didn't, and it also meant his judgment in trusting Billy had been sound. Still, he did his best not to let any of it show on his face. His eyes shifted to Rebecca, who looked somewhat embarrassed. "I...guess you're probably looking for an explanation, right?"

"That'd be a pretty good guess," came Dee's reply, much milder than he'd originally meant it to. He just couldn't stay angry at her.

Rebecca looked at Dee, meeting his eyes evenly. "My name is Rebecca Chambers, formerly of S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team, Raccoon PD. I was present for the Raccoon City Incident that involved the Spencer Mansion. I imagine you probably heard about that."

Both Dee and Diana nodded. Rebecca nodded in reply, and went on. "Billy told me that he told you about the T-Virus."

"Sorta," Dee assented. "He mentioned it, but said you'd have an explanation as to what it does."

Rebecca bit her bottom lip, frowning subtly. "Well..."

"Tell ya what, Slick," Billy said, cutting Rebecca off before she could reply "Why don't you and I take a walk?"

Dee looked absolutely perplexed. "What? Where are we going?"

"The basement."

"Why the basement?"

Billy grinned, although it was questionable how much amusement there was in the expression. "Let's just say that there are some things you just have to see."

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As always, comments and critiques are appreciated! 


	4. The Dead Live! THE DEAD LIVE!

FANDOM: _FAKE & Resident Evil: Zero  
_PAIRING: Billy Coen/Rebecca Chambers, Dee Laytner/Ryo McLane  
RATING: NC-17, just to be safe  
WARNINGS: Yaoi, Het, Violence, Angst  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own 'em. Don't sue me, I'm not worth enough. The loveliness that is FAKE belongs to the talented Sanami Matoh. Rebecca Chambers and Billy Coen are property of Capcom. Many thanks to the late Sam Kinnison, who was an influence in this chapter.

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_CHAPTER 04 – The dead live! THE DEAD LIVE!  
__by C. Ravenlocke_

"So why are we going down here again?"

"We need to find my partner's phone."

From his place leaning against the wall of the elevator car, Dee looked over at Billy incredulously. "You just dragged me all the way down here to find a cell phone? Are you _insane!"_

Billy smirked. "That depends on who you ask. By the way, Slick, are you carrying extra ammo?"

"Why? And quit calling me Slick."

"Just curious," Billy replied with a smile that said under no uncertain terms was he about to give up the nickname he'd christened Dee with.

Dee leaned back against the wall of the elevator car they were both standing in, seriously considering whether or not he'd be able to get away with shooting Billy or not. The grim-looking man had been yanking him around every chance he got, and it was starting to piss Dee off. _Tell me something, God,_ he thought to himself. _Is this your idea of a joke? Because if it is, it isn't funny. I mean, can't you just tell me to run for President or something?_ He sighed. _No. Instead, you stick me with the one guy who probably pisses me off more than Berkeley does._

That thought in mind, Dee watched Billy silently from the corner of his eye as the shorter man checked his gun and slipped it away under his coat again. The cool, calm precision with which he did it reminded Dee of Ryo. A habit left over from the military, Ryo had said. Curiosity overcame irrtation and Dee spoke. "So...were you military?"

Billy looked up, raising an eyebrow. Dee only shrugged at the unspoken question. "Well, we know more about Rebecca now. I just wanted to know a little more about you, too."

There were several moments of silence before Billy spoke. "Marine Corps."

Dee nodded. "My partner, he was in the Army. You guys have some of the same mannerisms."

A wry smile twisted Billy's lips. "He must have been above average for the Army then."

"He's above average at everything he does." Dee couldn't help but smile as he replied.

Billy smiled just a little at that. "You two are really close."

Dee nodded. "Lovers. Have been for a little over a year now."

"Oh..."

Billy's sudden silence only made Dee smile a little more. The dark-haired detective had a tendency to use his bisexuality to get under people's skin, and over the years, Dee had found that ultra-conservative cops and military men were two of the easiest to get to. And while there was a part of Dee that took a sadistic little pleasure in making Billy uncomfortable, the other part of him let it go. For now, at least. "So what about you and Rebecca?" he asked. "Are you guys really married?"

Billy shook his head. "Nah, we're just friends. Comrades-in-arms, that kind of thing."

"You're hoping for something more, though, am I right?" Dee said with a little knowing smile.

"Maybe."

"I'd say definitely."

"I don't remember asking for your input."

After that, the two men lapsed into silence until the elevator reached its destination, the distinct chime announcing their arrival. Billy drew his gun from under his jacket again, and Dee caught him by the arm. "Hey," he hissed. "You can't just walk out there with a weapon drawn."

Billy glared at Dee, shaking off the detective's grip. "Trust me, Slick, you don't want me to walk out there _without_ a weapon drawn."

Once again, Dee's reply was cut short as the sounds of shuffling footsteps reached the two men. Billy switched off the safety on his gun, tensing and stepping in front of Dee. "Oh hell...she was right..."

"What? What the hell's going on?" Dee asked, pushing Billy aside a little, then stopping dead in his tracks, as his eyes fell to where a nude corpse lay sprawled face-down in the middle of the corridor.

It looked almost as if it had been attacked by a pack of dogs. There was definite evidence it had been gnawed on, the bitemarks bearing the all too distinctive crescent-shaped pattern of human dentition. Blood had spread out under the body in a dark, almost black puddle. A puddle that had several smeared sets of footprints leading away from it. There was a dark figure crouched next to the corpse, hunched over it. It looked up as the elevator doors opened completely, and Dee gasped sharply, beginning to murmur every prayer he could still remember from his childhood.

The figure looking up at him was one very familiar to him, and yet at the same time, alien enough to be unrecognizable. Drake Parker stared at Dee through a single clouded white eye, flesh hanging off of him in ragged flaps. For the first time, Dee could see the severity of the attack that had killed the other detective. Great, gaping wounds had nearly split Drake's torso in half. His face had been mangled badly, deep cuts scoring the man's features.

He also had a ragged piece of the corpse he'd been kneeling near hanging from his slack jaws.

As Drake's eye fell on Dee, a low, hungry moan escaped him. Dee took an involuntary step backwards, backing up slowly until his back was touching the back of the elevator car. "D-Drake?" he said, his tone as incredulous as it was questioning. The only reply Dee received to his question was another hungry moan.

_Christ on a cross. _Billy's reaction to the sight of the zombie was instantaneous. He raised his weapon, and fired once. The gun went off with a _pop_ that was deafening in the small, confined space. The shot caught Drake dead in the center of his forehead, and he dropped with a soft sigh. Blood oozed from the wound, and that was the last thing Dee saw as Billy slapped the button to close the door, and sighed softly.

When they reached the basement again, Billy led Dee out of the elevator, and looked at him critically. "You okay there, Slick?"

In spite of his lingering shock, Dee managed a glare at Billy. "Stop calling me that," he growled, "And tell me what thehell just happened! Why was Drake _alive_ down there! And why did he look like a...a..."

"A zombie?" Billy supplied quietly. At Dee's nod, he replied. "He's...he _was_ a carrier. That's what the T-Virus does."

"Jesus Christ..."

Billy managed a tiny, humorless smile, walking over to one of the small lockers that lined one wall of the tiny room. He checked through it on an impulse, and was rewarded when he saw the locker had been serving as a maintenance closet of sorts. A slightly more thorough search yielded him a heavy flashlight, a foot long Maglite. "Yeah. Now you know why I couldn't just tell you."

"You _should_ have just told me."

With a nonplussed expression, Billy shook his head. "Sure, okay. And what the hell am I supposed to say? 'Hey, Slick, there are zombies in the basement. Wanna help me go put the corpses down if they happen to be walking around again?"

The man's tone was pissing Dee off, which actually pleased Billy to no end. Aside from the sport involved in getting under Dee's skin, Billy knew keeping Dee pissed would keep him thinking clearly instead of dwelling on what he'd seen. "Still..." he heard Dee say, although the protest was half-hearted at best.

"Look, I meant what I said. There are some things you just gotta see. Now, you just head up to your partner's new room while I go down after that phone, okay?"

Dee's eyes widened. "Are you out of your goddamned mind!"

"I thought we already went through this," Billy replied with a smirk, and then he was gone.

Dee looked around, and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. Hospital rules be damned. If they were going to let zombies wander around in the basement, they could damn well let him have a smoke. Or three. After taking a long drag off the cigarette, Dee exhaled the smoke and shook his head. _That's it, Laytner. You've finally cracked. You're seeing zombies...time to check yourself into third floor_.

Diana Spacey was feeling unusually thoughtful as she watched Rebecca check over a still unconscious Berkeley Rose. The whole situation thusfar was bizarre, with Dee's sudden appearance in Rose's room with Ryo. He'd told Diana immediately that she wasn't to let anyone in without his okay. Beyond that, he'd answered very few of her questions. Then there was the issue of Billy and Rebecca. From the sound of things, Dee had only met the two of them that day, and apparently using assumed names. That, in and of itself, didn't lend itself to inspire trust in the long since jaded FBI agent.

Still, even Diana had to admit that there was very little about Rebecca Chambers that was even the least bit threatening. She had an innocence about her that was much like Ryo's, and Diana supposed that was part of what had made Dee trust her. What little she had seen of the man, however, made her metaphorical hackles raise almost as much as her hormones.

There had been something dangerous about the man, who had identified himself as Billy. It was written in his very stance, and the way his eyes never stopped moving. Diana had seen it before. She decided he must be military. And if he wasn't currently, then he had been at one time. Diana had dealt with plenty of military men in her work. The fact that the Marines had a school in Quantico where she, herself, had trained for the FBI had encouraged that. Although they'd never socialized, it wasn't unusual for FBI trainees and Marine Officers-in-training to end up in the same bars. It meant that Diana had had ample time to watch the men. And during her time working actively, she'd met men from every branch of the service, and found them to all be fairly similar.

Breaking from her reverie, she looked at Rebecca, who had begun looking Ryo over again. "So are you really a doctor?"

"More of a field medic," Rebecca admitted with a shrug. "But I know enough to know what I'm looking for."

"And just what are you looking for?"

"Something that turns people into zombies..." came a voice from the door.

Rebecca and Diana both looked up and over toward the door as Dee stepped into the room. Immediately, Rebecca could tell that the detective had gotten his first look at a T-Virus zombie. He was pale, his hands shaking slightly as he shut the door behind himself. He reeked of cigarette smoke, and Rebecca wondered if he'd actually smoked inside the hospital, or if he'd gone outside before coming back to the room. Then, her brain latched onto something alarming that made her forget all about Dee or where he might have been smoking; Billy wasn't with Dee.

Before she could ask about it, though, Diana spoke. "What the hell are you talking about? Zombies?"

"I know how crazy that sounds, Diana," Dee said, raking a hand through his unruly hair. "But I swear to God, that's what I saw."

Rebecca nodded. "You saw a carrier. They're not _actually_ zombies, at least not quite in the traditional sense. The T-Virus is a really adaptable, though. It seems to be able to infect corpses and essentially resurrect them. But I've seen its effects on a living subject, as well..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "Dee, where's Billy?" she said, interrupting her own train of thought.

"He's still down there. Sent me back up here, and said he was gonna go down after your phone..."

"He's going down there alone!" Rebecca gasped. "What the hell is he thinking!"

Dee shrugged, walking over to Ryo's bed and looked down at him, his expression softening. After a moment, he looked over at Rebecca. "So...he's gonnna be okay, right?"

Rebecca nodded and smiled a little. "Yes, I think he'll be fine. He's been injured, obviously, but I don't think that's why he's been out for so long."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, he's got injuries, but he honestly shouldn't be comatose like this. I think he's been drugged. I've seen Umbrella do that before, to keep potential witnesses quiet until they can be taken away and interviewed. If that's the case, then he should wake up soon...I figure that our moving Ryo probably disrupted their medication schedule."

Dee only nodded silently, his eyes on his partner once again. Concerned, Diana rose from her chair and walked over to him. "You okay?"

"It was Drake, Diana...that's who I saw..."

Diana blinked in surprise. "But...he was..."

"Dead, I know. We both saw him dead...but he wasn't dead down there...he was..._eating_...another body..."

Rebecca said nothing as she listened to the two of them speaking by the window. She let her gaze turn down to the unconscious man in the bed. Berkeley Rose, commissioner for the 27th precinct. He was an important man, both to the station, and to Diana. He'd been there for the attack, like Ryo had. Unlike Ryo, however, he hadn't come out of it nearly as well, and Rebecca wasn't quite sure how to break the news.

Berkeley Rose had the T-Virus.

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Okay, and here's Chap 04! I hope ya'll enjoyed. More updates coming soon, I hope!


	5. Reach Out and Touch Someone

Author's Note: This is a REVISED chapter. Even if you've already read it, you'll need to read it again for Chapter 06 to make sense!

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_Chapter 05 -- "Reach Out and Touch Someone"_

Billy scowled as the elevator doors slid open, and he was greeted with darkness. He stood absolutely still, listening intently for sounds of movement, or the soft, hungry groan of a T-Virus zombie. Hell, he'd have happily dealt with some elevator music. It was too damn quiet, and it made him edgy, hesitant even to step out of the elevator car and pick up Rebecca's phone. It was lying near the heap of autopsy corpse and the crumpled body of Drake Parker. Not that Billy was worried about the corpses; that they were still where he'd left them meant they probably wouldn't be getting up anytime soon. _So quit being a pansy, Coen, _he told himself sharply. _Take the three steps it's going to take you to get that damned phone, and get back upstairs before you psych yourself out._

He stepped out of the elevator car, kneeling down to pick up Rebecca's phone. His eyes flicked uncertainly to the two corpses laying nearby, but neither of them so much at twitched. He pocketed the phone, and frowned a little as he stood, turning back toward the elevator car. The sound of clothing rustling made him jump, and by then it was too late.

_I've been ambushed._

Those three words were the only ones that ran through Billy's mind as he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. He spun and fired, the sound of the shot and the flare of the muzzle rendering him deaf and blind for a few moments in the enclosed space. It went wild, the bullet making a pinging sound as it struck the concrete walls. A second set of hands gripped him and Billy brought his magnum up and fired again as he felt teeth sink into his shoulder.

He cried out, more in surprise than pain, and shook the zombie off. The zombie lunged at him again, giving him a glimpse of a white labcoat. Billy braced himself for the impact, catching the corpse as it collided with him. He pushed hard against the zombie, knocking it back, his hands catching hold of something that pulled away in his hand. He didn't have time to so much as look at what was in his hand, however, as something else intruded on his consciousness.

The light was getting dimmer.

Which meant the elevator doors were closing. "Shit!" he hissed, pivoting on his heel and darting back toward the elevator.

He managed to squeeze through the remaining open space, and the doors shut with a soft sound. Billy exhaled a relieved breath, only to jump when the sound of something striking the doors echoed loudly in the elevator car. Moans reached his ears, and he shivered at the sound, pressing the button for the next floor up and leaning back against the wall of the elevator as it began to move. The ride up seemed to take forever, and he was acutely aware of the wetness on his skin, sliding down over his arm, making his silk shirt stick. His heart was hammering hard in his chest, his harsh breathing lost to the ringing in his ears. His shoulder ached, but he wasn't too worried. The pain wasn't that bad.

As he rode up, he turned his attention for the first time to the thing he'd pulled off the zombie during his struggle. It was an ID badge. His stomach clenched as he looked at it; he'd seen these a hundred times before, but never in a hospital. It was an Umbrella Corporation namebadge.

The hospital belonged to them.

The elevator jostled him a little as it came to a halt, and he pushed away from the door and he staggered out, numb from both the pain, and the weight of the knowledge he carried. He heard someone call his name, the voice not registering with him right at first and he slumped against the wall. Billy had almost convinced himself that he'd been imagining things when the voice called out to him again. He looked up, clutching at his bleeding shoulder, and caught sight of Rebecca. He couldn't help but smile, just a little. "Hey, Becca," He replied.

"What the hell were you thinking! You're insane to go down there on your own..."

"I know...I know..." He dug into his pocket and then held up his hand, Rebecca's cell phone clasped tightly in it. "I found your phone," He said, before sliding down the wall to land roughly in a sitting position.

Rebecca was at his side in an instant, pushing his hand away from his shoulder and carefully peeling back the blood-soaked silk of his shirt. "Oh god, Billy," she breathed, biting her bottom lip as she got a better look at the ragged, bloody wound. The oval-shaped wound was too familiar; they'd been made by human teeth. "What happened?"

Billy shrugged his good shoulder. "I got ambushed."

"This is bad...I need to clean it."

Shaking his head, Billy swatted Rebecca's hands away, and forced himself to his feet. "No time now. We've got to get the hell out of here..."

"What? They haven't gotten out of the basement, have they?"

"Worse."

The reply caught Rebecca off-guard. "What could be worse than that?"

Billy's smile was small, and held within it no humor as he picked up the name badge and held it out for her inspection. "This hospital is one of Umbrella's."

"No wonder their clean-up crew was here so fast!" Rebecca's tone was incredulous.

With a nod, Billy started heading toward the door again, Rebecca right on his heels. She wasn't so sure she felt right about leaving his wound untended. Bites like that were usually fatal when they came from T-Virus zombies, but she knew from personal experience that if the wound was cleaned immediately, there was a good chance the infection wouldn't take hold. If left untreated for too long, however...

Rebecca shook herself sharply from that train of thought; Billy would be all right. She would tend his wounds as soon as they were somewhere safe. "So where are we going to take them?" she asked, knowing that they had to get Dee, Diana and the others out of there.

"I haven't decided yet. Go back up and let the others know what's going on. See if they know somewhere safe we can go."

"Where are you going?"

"Out to the car for a smoke and to spray the shit outta this with some first aid spray I trust."

"But–"

Billy flashed Rebecca a rare smile. "You can play doctor with me later, once we're somewhere safe." And with that, he walked away, leaving a dumbfounded Rebecca staring at his retreating back.

Fits of brilliance were not Dee Laytner's strong suit. He had a tendency to suggest things before he thought about them, and it often led to ideas that sounded fantastic at the time, only to turn out to seem decidedly less so later. When Rebecca had explained their situation, therefore, it didn't entirely surprise him when he heard himself suggest that they hide with Penguin. After all, there weren't many places safer than an orphanage run by a Catholic nun.

Luckily for Dee, Penguin immediately agreed to let them stay on a currently uninhabited floor of her orphanage. To Dee's surprise and great relief, the matronly woman asked few questions, which was unusual for her. She was usually bursting at the seams with curiosity about the things that happened in her former ward's life.

As soon as they'd arrived and Penguin agreed to take them in, Rebecca quickly took charge. She got Berkeley settled in a room next to her own, choosing it because of its sturdy door, which could be locked from both sides by means of an antique key. Diana chose the other room next to Berkeley's. Ryo's room took the unoccupied space on the other side of Rebecca's, which meant she could hear both patients at any given time. Billy took up residence in the room across the hall from Rebecca's, and Dee stayed in the room across from Ryo's. Once they were all settled, they regrouped in Billy's room to plan their next move while Rebecca tended his injury.

"Are you really sure it's a good idea for us to be here, Dee?" Diana asked, finding a seat near the window.

"I can't think of anywhere safer in New York City," Dee replied from his place near the door, his tone full of confidence he didn't really feel.

The FBI agent sighed. "I just don't feel right about this."

"We really didn't have much choice," Rebecca said, looking up from Billy's wound.

Before Diana could protest again, Billy spoke. "She's right. They'll be keeping an eye on the other hospitals and hotels."

"Not to mention every airport, subway station, car rental office, and taxi company in the state," Rebecca continued as she turned her attention to what she was doing again. "This'll be the last place they'll expect us to hide."

"I hope you're right."

"Look at it this way," Billy said, smiling a bit in spite of the pain he was in. "They're likely to look into any relations or loved ones you all have in this city. If we're here, we can protect the Sister and the kids."

Diana nodded at that. "That's true."

Looking over at the others, it was Dee who spoke next. "So what now?"

"Now, we rest. We'll figure out what to do in the morning," Rebecca said firmly. "We're all too tired and too stressed out to think clearly tonight."

Nodding, Dee pushed away from the wall, and headed for the door. "You'll...let me know if Ryo wakes up?"  
Rebecca nodded. "I promise, if anything changes, you'll know."

Dee headed out, and after eliciting a similar promise from Rebecca, so did Diana. Once they were gone, Rebecca walked over to the door, closing it and locking it. Then she turned back toward Billy, who was in the process of smoothing down the tape she'd put over the gauze and bandages. Feeling eyes on him, he looked up. "You okay?" He asked softly.

"I don't know..."

"So what happened that you aren't telling them?"

Rebecca slumped against the door. "Rose...he's got the virus..."

"Shit." Billy rose from the bed and crossed the room on silent feet until he could wrap his arms around Rebecca. "No wonder you wanted him separated from the others."

The embrace was more than welcome, and Rebecca gladly returned it, finding a long-familiar comfort in the Marine's strong arms as she gave way to frustrated tears. Billy said nothing more, content to simply allow her to let out whatever frustration she needed to. He knew she'd tell him everything when she was ready. When she'd finally cried herself out, Rebecca pulled away from Billy and wiped at her eyes. "I-I'm sorry..."

"You apologize to me again," he said, hoping to either amuse her or irritate her out of her depression, "and I'm going to have to tape your mouth shut."

Rebecca leveled a glare on him, but there was no real malice behind it, and her anger evaporated quickly. With a shake of her head and a quiet sigh, she rested her forehead against his chest. Billy smiled and ran a hand affectionately through her hair. "We'll figure out something," he said. "Maybe there's some info on a cure or something still in that hospital."

"Maybe, but it would be suicide to go back in there..."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But we're kinda short on options."

"We need a face they haven't seen before..."

"I don't think we've got anyone else available for this mission."

Rebecca smiled suddenly. "Yes we do. I'm going to go make a few calls. I'll come check on you in a few hours, okay?"

Billy looked confused, but nodded. "Okay."

It was sometime around 2am when Rebecca knocked on the door to Billy's room again. Not that the time mattered much; Billy didn't really sleep anymore. He looked up from cleaning his magnum and smiled a little; he'd know her knock anywhere. "It's open," he called out, trying to be just loud enough to be heard, without disturbing the people in the next room.

The door opened with a soft creak, and Rebecca slipped in. She was wearing a t-shirt she'd borrowed from him earlier that evening, Billy noted with an amused smile that the hem of it still came down to a few inches above her knees. "C'mon in," he said.

Rebecca closed the door behind her, flipping the lock, and padded on silent feet toward the bed where Billy was sitting. Rebecca smiled faintly when she saw that he'd changed out of his suit, and was now wearing a pair of badly faded jeans. He was shirtless, the bandages on his shoulder showing in stark contrast to his tanned skin. "How're you feeling?" she asked.

"Pretty good. Little tired, but we've had a hell of a day."

She nodded. "No kidding."

Billy set aside the gun and wiped his hands off, before patting the bed beside him. Rebecca took the silent invitation, moving over to sit beside him; the mattress barely shifted as she sat down. "You feeling better?" he asked her, not wanting to leave the silence hanging too long. After a beat, he reached out and slid the uninjured arm around her shoulders.

Rebecca leaned against him, smiling a little. "Yes. I'm..." she trailed off, not wanting to apologize. While she had a fairly good notion that Billy had only been kidding with his earlier threat to tape her mouth shut, but she wasn't completely sure. He was unpredictable sometimes. "...never mind."

Billy chuckled, but said nothing. They fell into a more comfortable silence this time. Finally, Rebecca turned and reached up to settle her fingertips lightly on the bandage. "Does it...hurt much now?" she asked quietly. "Do you need anything for it?"

Shaking his head, Billy turned his head to press a gentle kiss to her temple. "I'm okay."

"Good."

Judging from Rebecca's tone, Billy guessed that the young woman was just shades away from falling into a depression again, and he couldn't allow that. "Besides, it could have been worse. He got the arm that didn't have the tattoo." Rebecca gave the Marine an incredulous look. He may very possibly be infected, and he was worried about the _tattoo?_ Billy only laughed, and his arm around her shoulder tightened. "What can I say?" he replied to her unspoken question. "It was expensive."

She continued to stare at him. Billy stared right back and tried his best not to laugh. As their eyes met again, Rebecca felt a laugh bubbling in her chest, and she tried to swallow it. It was no use. Within moments, both of them were laughing, holding onto each other until the sound died away. "So 'fess up," Billy said quietly. "Who were you calling in?"

"You'll see tomorrow, just like everybody else."

"You're killing my illusions of being special, you know that, right?"

"Oh, Billy," Rebecca replied, shaking her head. She leaned up and kissed him gently on the cheek. "You know you're special."

Her frankness surprised him, and he was speechless. Her smile only increased. "Now try to get some sleep. We're both going to need it."

Her bare feet made no sound on the hardwood floor as she crossed the room and opened the door. Rebecca hesitated in the threshold, and looked back at Billy uncertainly. She almost seemed ready to say something, but shook her head and walked out of the room, shutting the door before Billy could call out to her.

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There's another one! As always, read and review please! 


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